craven
Americanadjective
noun
verb (used with object)
idioms
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of craven
1175–1225; Middle English cravant, cravaunde defeated < Old French craventé, past participle of cravanter to crush, overwhelm (< Vulgar Latin *crepantāre ), influenced by Middle English creaunt defeated ( see recreant)
Explanation
A craven man is no Superman or Spiderman, nor is he a firefighter or a soldier. A craven man is the opposite of those guys: he has not an ounce of courage. In "The Wizard of Oz," the Cowardly Lion could have been called the Cravenly Lion, but that didn't sound quite right. Use craven as you would cowardly. A craven leader is scared to lead, while a craven gymnast stays on the mat and avoids the balance beam. You can also use the word to describe other things, besides humans. Craven policies, for example, are probably weak and do not take bold measures.
Vocabulary lists containing craven
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
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Negative Words to Describe a Person
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the 1950s, a California physician, Lawrence Craven, observed that aspirin increased bleeding in his patients.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Without Craven to push the idea forward, aspirin’s cardiovascular benefits might have gone unnoticed.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Among those who were first to congratulate him on his feat, 45 years after their first meeting, was John Craven.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
The 47-year-old, who took over in 2022, has a contract at Craven Park until 2028.
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
“Lyddie,” Diana was saying softly, “Dr. Craven needs to look at the wound.”
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
